Needle clamp for sewing machine

ABSTRACT

Needle clamp for sewing machine, particularly child&#39;&#39;s sewing machine, with the needle clamp knob located between the parallel needle and presser bars. The clamp knob and screw extend from the needle bar to strike the presser bar when retracted from the sewing needle, thereby preventing loss of the clamp screw.

United States atent Cowdrey et al.

[451 July 15,1975

NEEDLE CLAMP FOR SEWING MACHINE Inventors: Roy Melvin Cowdrey, Cranford;

Oswald Mead Porter, Livingston, both of NJ.

The Singer Company, New York, N.Y.

Filed: Oct. 2, 1974 Appl. No.: 511,145

Assignee:

U.S. C1. 112/226 Int. Cl. D05B 55/02 Field of Search 112/226, 222, 221

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1894 Wheeler 112/226 3/1929Lehmann 112/221 X 10/1954 Hansen 112/226 X 4/1955 Ayries 112/226 1/1962SZuba 112/226 6/1969 Rabinow 112/221 Primary Examiner-Alfred R. GuestAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Marshall J. Breen; Edward L. Bell; Robert E.Smith ABSTRACT Needle clamp for sewing machine, particularly childssewing machine, with the needle clamp knob located between the parallelneedle and presser bars. The clamp knob and screw extend from the needlebar to strike the presser bar when retracted from the sewing needle,thereby preventing loss of the clamp screw.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures NEEDLE CLAMP FOR SEWING MACHINE BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION Needle clamps on sewing machine needle bars aregenerally located laterally projecting to the right in deference to aright-handed operator, or projecting to the front. Generally, the clampsused are small in size, there normally being no need to make theminordinately large for an adult operator. In fact, the presently usedlocation of the needle clamp would increase the risk of harm to anoperator by the rapid reciprocation of an enlarged needle clamp. Inaddition, an enlarged clamp would increase the reciprocating mass of theneedle bar, requiring the expenditure of more energy and an increase inmotor size and occasioning an increase in bearing wear.

However, for a few individuals, particularly children or those afflictedwith arthritis, a larger needle clamp would be of considerable aid. Inaddition, a location of the needle clamp out of the usual area ofoperator manipulation is desirable to obviate accidental injury. Also adesign which would eliminate the possibility of inadvertently totallyunscrewing the needle clamp would be particularly desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above desired ends have been achieved inthe invention where an enlarged diameter needle clamp knob is locatedbetween the needle bar and a presser bar situated parallel to the needlebar. The clamp screw emanating from the knob is of sufficient length tobe threadedly retained in the needle bar when the clamp knob is backedagainst the presser bar. The clamp knob is advantageously made ofsynthetic plastic resin to permit the knob, though of relatively largephysical dimensions, to maintain a small reciprocating mass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a head end of a sewingmachine with a needle bar carrying a needle clamp situate between theneedle bar and a presser bar;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of a needle bar carrying aneedle clamp of the invention indicating the relative size;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation partially in section of a portion of theneedle bar and a presser bar, with the needle clamp mounted on theneedle bar, showing a sewing needle in the clamped position; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 3 but with the needle clampfully retracted and abutting the presser bar.

In FIG. 1 is shown-a head portion of a sewing machine, which headportion supports a presser bar and needle bar 20. The presser bar 15 issupported in a fashion to urge a presser foot 17 towards a feed dog 18beneath the presser foot. The needle bar 20 is supported for endwisereciprocation that a sewing needle 21 affixed to the needle bar by clamp25 may cooperate with other sewing instrumentalities (not shown) of thesewing machine in the formation of sewing stitches.

The clamp 25 is formed with a knob 26, preferably manufactured ofrelatively lightweight synthetic plastic resin and integrally moldedwith a clamp screw 27 of metallic material. The clamp knob 26 is formedwith a diameter greater than twice that of the needle bar to insure thatit may be readily manipulated (see FIG. 2). In FIG. 3 the clamp screw 27is shown threaded into threaded hole 28 in the needle bar 20 and bearingagainst a flatted shank portion 22 of the sewing needle 21.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be noted that the clamp knob 26 is of sucha width and the clamp screw 27 of such a length as to prevent thecomplete withdrawal of the clamp screw from the threaded hole 28 in theneedle bar 20. Once the needle clamp 25 has been inserted into theneedle bar 20, prior to assembly of the presser bar 15 into the headportion 10 of the sewing machine, removal of the clamp can only beaccomplished by disassembly of the sewing machine.

Thus an advantageous no-loss assembly has been created which may bereadily manipulated while at the same time increasing operator safety byplacing the needle clamp in a location not normally in the area ofoperator manipulation.

Having set forth the nature of this invention, what we claim is:

1. In a sewing machine having a needle bar with a longitudinal axis anda presser bar having a longitudinal axis parallel to the axis of saidneedle bar, a needle clamp carried on one extremity of said needle barand adapted to accommodate a sewing needle therein, said needle clampcomprising means defining a needle accommodating seat at one extremityof said needle bar, means defining an aperture in said needle barintersecting said needle accommodating seat, said aperture openingtowards said presser bar, a screw thread means formed in said aperture,a clamp screw having knob means thereon, said clamp screw beingthreadedly re ceived in said aperture, said clamp screw and knob meansextending a length greater than the distance from said screw threadedaperture opening in said needle bar to said presser bar.

2. A needle clamp for a sewing machine having a circular needle baradapted to accommodate a sewing needle in one end thereof andreciprocate along a reciprocating axis lengthwise thereof, a presser barparallel to said needle bar, said presser bar being spaced from saidneedle bar, said needle clamp comprising a needle accommodating seatformed axially in one extremity of said needle bar, a screw threadedaperture formed perpendicular to the axis of said needle bar, saidthreaded aperture intersecting said needle accommodating seat andopening toward said presser bar; a clamp screw having knob means thereonthreadedly received in said aperture said clamp screw and knob meansextending a length greater than the distance from said screw threadopening to said presser bar.

3. A needle clamp as claimed in claim 2 wherein said knob means isformed of a synthetic plastic resin with molded together.

1. In a sewing machine having a needle bar with a longitudinal axis anda presser bar having a longitudinal axis parallel to the axis of saidneedle bar, a needle clamp carried on one extremity of said needle barand adapted to accommodate a sewing needle therein, said needle clampcomprising means defining a needle accommodating seat at one extremityof said needle bar, means defining an aperture in said needle barintersecting said needle accommodating seat, said aperture openingtowards said presser bar, a screw thread means formed in said aperture,a clamp screw having knob means thereon, said clamp screw beingthreadedly received in said aperture, said clamp screw and knob meansextending a length greater than the distance from said screw threadedaperture opening in said needle bar to said presser bar.
 2. A needleclamp for a sewing machine having a circular needle bar adapted toaccommodate a sewing needle in one end thereof and reciprocate along areciprocating axis lengthwise thereof, a presser bar parallel to saidneedle bar, said presser bar being spaced from said needle bar, saidneedle clamp comprising a needle accommodating seat formed axially inone extremity of said needle bar, a screw threaded aperture formedperpendicular to the axis of said needle bar, said threaded apertureintersecting said needle accommodating seat and opening toward saidpresser bar; a clamp screw having knob means thereon threadedly receivedin said aperture said clamp screw and knob means extending a lengthgreater than the distance from said screw thread opening to said presserbar.
 3. A needle clamp as claimed in claim 2 wherein said knob means isformed of a synthetic plastic resin with a diameter greater than twicethat of said needle bar, said knob means and said clamp screw beingintegrally molded together.